It is not a change of heart that Rose and Hawkins are coming out louder than ever in favor of criminalization; rather, it is a newfound confidence in their cause, bolstered by a friendly Trump administration, its allies, and the facades of conservative extremism crumbling all around us.
A billion-dollar industry funded partly by taxpayer dollars, the anti-abortion pregnancy center industry has only gotten stronger post-Roe— yet they still falsely play the victim, often by claiming they are the targets of so-called bullying, harassment and discrimination whenever they are held accountable for their harmful practices.
Now, more than 80 cities and counties have adopted similar laws, especially in states like Texas, where near-total abortion bans are already in place.
Criminalization is not an unintended consequence of their anti-abortion activism, but rather a deliberate strategy in the anti-abortion agenda.
By showing up, I met a coalition of Georgians from all over the state who, like me, had also grown up in Georgia public schools, with conservative parents, or in religions that oppose abortion, yet we learned to fight for what we believe in anyway, even if it made us different.
If there is any absolute truth to come out of RFK Jr.’s confirmation hearings, it’s that he is uninformed, unqualified, and unfit to be the director of any government department, but especially the HHS.
Some leaders are pushing for their own alternative treatment: so-called “restorative reproductive medicine,” an alleged alternative to conventional fertility assistance, which rejects “methods that are inherently suppressive, circumventive, or destructive to natural human functions.”
Grassroots actions can be the difference between someone visiting an anti-abortion pregnancy center or not, which is no small feat.
As doulas reclaim and reshape their role in reproductive health, they challenge the limitations of the traditional medical model by centering empathy, support, and patient autonomy.
Violence and harassment of any kind are unequivocally unacceptable and must be addressed.
Interfering with the freedom to vote shows desperation on the part of abortion opponents.